Soul Camp

A week ago I participated in Camp ALMA, a weekend long leadership camp for adolescent girls which is organized by Peace Corps volunteers. It was primarily organized by one youth development volunteer but the rest of us helped her with the process. Personally, just getting four girls from my site to the camp on time was enough work for me. (One girl was still packing at the agreed upon time of departure. Her mother was busy washing approximately 50 mangos to send along with her. Mangos were not on the packing list.)

The camp took place in La Reserva Ecológica Chaparrí, a 34,000 HA private dry forest reserve located more than an hour east of Chiclayo. All of the camp participants, roughly 20-25 girls, came with volunteers from the Lambayeque region. As some of them arrived in heels, I don’t think they were completely prepared for “camp” as we understand it in the U.S. However, none of them complained about sleeping in tents. I believe they were shocked by the limited shower time. In general, I think many Peruvians from the coast bathe more than people in the U.S., at least Peace Corps volunteers. The girls from Huaca Rivera were completely dismayed when I told them I hadn’t showered in over two days. They also complained about too many vegetables in the soup which was the equivalent of blasphemy to the volunteers, all of whom were elated.

For the girls, the camp was an incredible opportunity. In the first place, most of them had never been away from home, at least not without a fellow family member. Some of them had never even been as far as Chiclayo. Others had traveled more extensively. Furthermore, they were introduced to themes such as self-esteem, women’s health, and female leadership. They also got to meet several Peruvian female professionals. Most importantly, they got to interact with a bunch of girls their own age. We introduced them to plenty of games, including the human knot and flip-cup, a classic drinking game played on college campuses across the U.S. Of course, we played that one with water. Either way, it was NOT my idea.

By the end of the camp you could really see a big difference in the girls. Of course some of them were ready to get home, but some of them were actually sad to leave. For me, the camp made me realize just how much the Peruvian educational system lacks in terms of youth development, especially for girls. In fact, in the Western Hemisphere, the Peruvian education system is second-worst only to Haiti. I realized on the way home that almost all of the girls would go home and no one would understand what their experience. They would get home and be expected to immediately wash the clothes or make dinner, no chance to rest. In the States, most kids getting home from camp would go home to understanding parents who would take interest in what they did or at least let them sleep for awhile. Two very different realities. In the end, what is really important is that they will, at least, always remember it as a positive experience.

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At the end of the camp all of the girls had to plan an activity to do with their community. I was shocked when, within an hour of returning to Huaca, two of the girls were at my door wanting to plan the meeting we had discussed. The next morning the other two came by my house.

One week later we actually had a successful meeting with several of the other teenage girls from Huaca Rivera. While they weren’t all jumping up and down with excitement, they agreed to begin a weekly clean-up campaign. Afterwards we played soccer, that is, until nearly 50 teenage boys arrived from surrounding towns to play for money. I was surprised that the girls didn-t mind the on-lookers and wanted to keep playing, despite complaints from the boys.

Honestly, I think that playing soccer with the girls in my town is my most exciting accomplishment since arriving at site. Sure I’ve accomplished more concrete things but, after an entire year, I have never done something so interactive with my community.

I just want a door.

Since I’m moving houses I have to buy a new door to install on my room. I thought it would be simple. It actually might have been simple had I not chosen to order my door from the sketchiest looking door maker in Chiclayo. Given that Chiclayo on the whole is sketchy looking, choosing an even sketchier looking section to buy my door was stupid. The “business” I selected had no sign, no office, no one in charge, no clear purpose. What it had was wood, lots of wood lying around everywhere and random people cutting wood. Hence, I assumed they could make a door. I even ordered a door and paid for half of it. However, when I returned a week later there was no door. And a week later, still no door. The second time, I happened to talk to the owner who was every bit as shady as his business. He informed me that because he had not written the receipt for my door he, the OWNER, was not responsible for dealing with it. He told me that he could not possibly refund me and that I would have to go find the guy who had written the receipt and talk to him myself. Nor did he ever suggest actually making the door. All the while, he wouldn’t look me in the eye. I did my best to yell at him in Spanish and made sure to insult him by reminding him that I would make sure to tell my fellow country men about his shameful Peruvian business. I also threatened to go to the police. No surprise, that didn’t work so I had to call Enrique, our security officer, who talked to him and scared a bit of sense into him. In the end, he gave me the money but only after he went to see the guy who took my order.